El Porton - Lunch for Two

WHERE WE WENT:   
El Porton Mexican Restaurant   
65 S. Highland Street
Memphis, TN 38119



WHAT WE ORDERED:

Small Cheese Dip, Fish Tacos, 
Rice & Beans, Beef Burrito, 
Beef Enchilada


WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 5       
Menu - 7
Presentation - 4
Taste - 5
Price - 9
Service - 7
 Overall - 6

Atmosphere - The restaurant had plenty of open space and the seating wasn't at all crowded. There was some authentic looking decor, but all of it looked cheap. The lighting was nice, not too dark or bright. There was a lack of color that is typical of Mexican restaurants and way too much blank space on the walls. The whole space was generally disinteresting. There some elements that were in disrepair and there was also some serious dust.

Menu -  The menu had a wide variety including non-Mexican and vegetarian options. It had appealing visual representations of many dishes and was well laid out. Personal pet peeve, we hate when there is a long list of almost-exactly-the-same, numbered combinations

Presentation - The fish tacos were a very pretty dish. The square plate contrasted with round smaller bowls really nicely. The pico de gallo was bright and colorful. The burrito and enchilada combo was sloppily plated and drowned in sauce which created a monochromatic blob on most of the plate. The beans and rice differed in color only slightly and were sloshed on side-by-side with almost no distinguishable boundaries.

Taste - The cheese dip was somewhat bland and kinda watery, but you can't really mess up cheese dip too badly. The salsa was some of the best we've had. It had a good, thick consistency and the perfect spiciness. It had a significant kick, but not to much that it negated the taste. The fish was rubbery and overcooked, but the pico de gallo had an excellent taste. The tacos were served with a chipotle sauce that was delicious by itself, but did not blend well with the other flavors of the dish. The beef in the enchilada and burritos was tasteless, completely devoid of seasoning. Luckily the enchilada sauce was delicious and made it edibile. 

Price - Everything on the menu was reasonably priced and portions were satisfying, but not too large.

Service - Our service was speedy, attentive, and efficient, but not particularly friendly.  

WOULD WE GO BACK? 
 No. There are so many other options for Mexican. We wouldn't want to waste our time when we could try something new.

 Here's a link to their website: www.elportonmexicanrestaurants.com